What I absolutely love about this story is how matter-of-fact everyone is as they go about discussing ways to get rid of Denethor. Poor Aragorn. I really began to feel sorry for him toward the end. His "grim foreboding expression" didn't seem to count for much by the time his companions were through. I loved Legolas's suggestion that someone could seduce Denethor, and I loved the way this suggestion came back to bite him when Gimli decided that the role of seducer could fall to the elf himself. Halbarad's brilliant line about seduction being hard to render in free verse capped that avenue well, and it just went downhill from there for the poor future Vice-Prime-Acting Chancellor, or whatever it was that Legolas came up with. Aragorn's outburst at the end was brilliant, though I wonder if there might not have been some merit to either assassination and election. Still, Aragorn probably knows what he's doing, even if the alternatives would be more fun. Hilarious story!

Reviewed by: Marta -- Score: 7

"And if anyone had mastered the “grim foreboding” expression, it was surely Aragorn, Gimli thought" As soon as I read this line (maybe even before!) I knew I was going to enjoy this piece, and I wasn't disappointed. Legolas and Gimli were a perfect comic pair, and Gimli's raw comedy worked especially well. Minor characters like Halbarad and the Sons of Elrond also worked very well. And the image of Eowyn seducing Denethor, who is not only *so* not her type but also half a century older... well, let's just say I started chuckling early and didn't stop throughout. Of course we know what happens canonically (which just makes gimli's last line all the more perfect), but that doesn't mean this conversation didn't happen. I had never thought about it before, but I'm sure it probably did at some point. Nice use of the humor inherent in book-canon, which is so rarely done effectively.

Reviewed by: Rabidsamfan -- Score: 3

*snorgle*
This is fun. It's just serious enough to be logical and just silly enough to have me grinning by the time I'd read three paragraphs. Each suggestion only makes it funnier. I love Eowyn's solution -- and the Elvish translation at the very end left me howling.
Thank you!

Reviewed by: nerwen_calaelen -- Score: 3

This story considers an interesting point. It is certainly a valid question as to how Aragorn could intend to win the crown of Gondor if denathor had still been alive when he arrived. The genre of this story allows the few slightly questionable points canonwise to stand. The characterisations are very clever, especially that of Gimli.